Brassiere



G- KATZ BRASSIERE 2 Sheets Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1949 INVENTOR. KHTZ.

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G. KATZ BRASSIERE Dec, 1, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 21. 1949INVENTOR. Glee-m Kn 72 flTTaRNE Y- Patented Dec. 1, 1953 BRASSIERE GretaKatz, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application March 21, 1949, Serial No. 82,620

2 Claims.

Summarizing, this brassiere construction, and particularly to aconstruction in which a band is attached to the cups of the brassiere,adjacent the separation between the cups, which band is substantiallyindependent of the brassiere at the cups, and embraces the body andholds the separation against the chest.

It is particularly adapted for use in deep V- neck or notched brassires,as, for example, those Worn with dresses with plunging necklines. Iemploy a V or U-shaped wire to form the notch V-neck and connect theband to the legs of the V or U, and provide a band which, independentlyof the brassiere, straps the notch against the a In most brassieres, thetension is over the shoulders and across the back, produced by thetightening of the shoulder straps and making the brassiere snug. Due tothe protuberance of the breasts, the line of tension across the breastsand around the back, if sufiicient to hold the por tion of the brassiereover the separation flat, results in a flattening of the breasts.

Since it is the purpose of the cups of the brassiere to uplift and holdthe breasts in a youthful moulded fashion, the tightening of the bandand shoulder straps sufficient to hold the separation fiat against thechest is undesirable. However, if the tension is not so sufficient, theweight of the breasts, especially in full-bosomed women, is sufiicientto cause the cups to sag and to cause the brassiere at the separation tofall outward, permitting the breasts to approach and touch.

This is especially aggravated in deep V-necked or notched brassieres tobe worn with dresses designed with decolletage or plunging necklines.

By separating the support for that portion of the brassiere whichoverlies the sternum (separa-. tion between the breasts), i. e. from thecups, I

invention relates to a I may at the same time support the brassiereportion lying between the breasts firmly against the chest withoutcausing any undue pressure of the cups against the breasts.

I accomplish this by employing a band which may embrace the body, passunder the breast, and connect to the brassiere at the separation. Thebrassiere proper is independent of the band at least in that portionthereof which overlies the breasts, so that the tension of the band maybe as much as is necessary to hold the brassiere at the separation fiatagainst the chest without causing an equivalent tension in the fabric ofthe brassiere over the breasts. 7

These and other objects of my invention will be further described in thefollowing, taken together with the drawings, in which ,7

Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of one form of the brassire inwearing position; I

Fig. 2 is a back view of the brassire partly in section; I

Fig. 3 is a back plan view of the brassiere;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 3-4 of Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the brassiere in closed position; I

Fig. 7 is a back plan View of one modification of the brassiere; and

Fig. 3 is a top view of the brassiere of Fig. 7.

The brassiere is formed of two cups 4 having a notch 2 at the separationof the breasts framed by a U or V-shaped r latively stiff wire 3 encasedin a fabric sheathing 4. The base 8 is at the bottom of the notch andlegs 5 of the wire frame {3 of; the notch ,2 extend upwar dclose to thetop edgeof the brassiere. =The cups are formed in the. conventionalmanner and .when worn the wires are positioned at or near the base ofthe cups and the top ends of the legs 5 are in line with the points I,the wire being positioned in the separation between said cups and alongthe contiguous sides of-said cups.

.The wire fra'me'is mounted in and the cups are joined at stitch linesto the front panel [9. The side panels ii having gussets !2 areconnected to the rear panels is which carry hooks and eyes it and I5. I

The shoulder straps 9 are connected as conventional to the upper pointsit in line with the cup points I. The construction thus far described isfor a deep brassire. For short brassieres the panels I 0, H, and i3 aremade much shorter, and panel ID may, in fact, be nothing but a bandconnecting panels H and the cups. This will be readily understood bythose skilled in the art.

The independent band is composed of two parts [6 and 16a connected tothe fabric at stitch line H. The ends of the band and stitch line extendupwardly of the legs 5 so that they are connected to the fabric not onlyadjacent the base 6 but also alongthe legs 5. The purpose of this methodof construction .is to strap the sides of the notch against the chestand prevent the wire frame 3 from rotating on its base or otherwisefalling outward under the weight of the breasts in the cups.

It will be observed that this is accomplished because the band at thepoint of juncture I! along the separation between the contiguous edgesof the cups (i. e., along legs 5) is intension to cause the separationto be fiat against the chest. This tension need not be large but shouldbe sufiicient when added to the action of the cups to prevent thebreasts from falling toward each other.

The band need not be connected to the base 6 but preferably shouldextend along the legs "5 sufliciently to insure that the separationalong its whole length lies flat against the chest. Thus, it will not benecessary, although it may be permissible, to extend the component partsIt and 16a of the band to embrace the base 6 provided the ends ext-endalso along the legs 5, as described above.

In the form shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 6, inclusive, the band is entirelyindependent of the brassiere except where it is joined thereto adjacentthe legs 5. The ends of 16 and 16a are hooked or otherwise fastened atthe back independently of the brassiere proper. a

In the form shown in Figs. '7 and 8 the band is independent of thebrassiere except where it is joined to the notch and legs 5 at theseparation and at the back panels 13. In this construction the length ofthe bra-ssiere is preferably fuller than the bands It and I611, that is,the longitudinal dimension of the brassiere between the stitch line I?at the notch and the stitch line H or other juncture of the band to theback panels is greater than the unstretched length of the bands I-6 andI611 between their ends.

In both forms of the brassiere the bands l6 and Mia are cut to form aconcave edge [8 at that portion of the upper edges of the bands whichlies adjacent the cups. The concaved edges are covered with some softmaterial I9.

The above construction of the brassi'ere results in the followingposition of the brassiere par-ts on the body. The brassiere is put on inthe conventional manner by slipping the arms through the shoulder straps9. The bands 16 and we are placed about the body with the concaved edgel8 against the body and underneath the breasts and the bands are joinedat the back of the body. These bands thus strap the notch of thebrassiere and the frame work snugly and firmly against the chest at theseparation of the breasts. It will be observed that the band tension isexerted not only at the base but on the legs so that not only is thebase strapped to the chest but also the side legs. I believe this to beimportant since, as will be observed, if only the base of the separationis strapped to the body, the top of the frame will fall forward, and ifthis results the breasts will be permitted to fall out of the cups. Alsothe contoured edge l8 and the snug fit of the bands about the body havea contour-forming action to assist the cups in providing the desirableuplift of the breasts. The brassiere is then joined at the back by meansof the fasteners I4 and [5. Since the cups of the brassiere and bandsare independent, the tension of the bands is not communicated to thefabric of the brassiere at the cups, and therefore the cups merely actas pockets for the breasts with the nipples of the breasts at thepoints, conforming the breasts to the shape of the pockets. It will heobserved that the fabric of the cups is not .tensioned by the bands. Thebands do, however, strap the wire frame and notch against the chest. :Itwill also be observed that the position of the legs 5 against the chestprevents the breasts from falling out of the cups toward each other andtherefore the breasts cannot meet at the separation.

A similar result is obtained from the form shown in Fig. '7. The singledifference lies in the fact that the ends [6' of the bands It and [6aare joined to the back panels so that one fastener will fasten the endsof the brassiere and of the bands. It will be noted, however, that topre vent the brassire from producing a circumferential hoop tension at aline crossing the cups, by reason of the hoop tension in the bands itand 16a when the brassiere is worn, sufficient fullness should beprovided in the brassiere so that the cups are of the desiredconformation, when the brassiere is worn, to mould but not flatten thebreasts.

It will also be recognized by those skilled in this art that if a notchis not desired, it may be covered with cloth, as by extending the panelH) over the notch. Additionally, the frame need not be U or V-shaped,but may be a plate or even a single wire, or may, in fact, be omitted.The bands may be connected to the brassiere at the separation both atthe base of the cups and part way *up the separation. In this manner theportion of the brassiere between the cups maybe independently strappedagainst the chest to hold that portion fiat without imparting hooptension to the fabric of the brassire proper.

While I have shown the bands as joined in the back, which, I believe, ismost desirable, the bands may be joined at any other portion, providedmeans are employed to pass the bands around the body and join both endsto the brassiere at the separation as indicated.

While I have described a particular embodiment of my invention for thepurpose of illustration, it should be understood that variousmodifications and adaptations thereof may be made within the spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims. a

1. A 'brassire comprising a pair of spaced cups, each cup including abase and a point, said cups having opposing contiguous reinforced edgesspaced from each other, a band, one end of said band connected to eachof the opposing contiguous edges of said cups between the base of thecup and the point, the upper edge of said band adjacent the base of saidcups being positionedbeneath the base of said cup, said band beingotherwise disconnected from said brassiere at said cups, the edge ofsaid band adjacent said cup being concave 'to fit under the breasts whenthe b-rassiereis worn, and means for securing said band and thebrassiere about the wearer.

2. A brassire comprising a pair of spaced cups, each cup having a baseand a point, wire reinforcement secured to the contiguous edges of saidcups, the brassire being cut away between said contiguous edges at theseparation between the cups toform a notch between said contiguousedges, a band, one end of the band being connected along said reinforcededges between said base and the points of said cups, the upper edge ofsaid band adjacent the base of said cups being positioned beneath thebase of said cups and contoured to fit under the breasts when thebrassire is worn, said band being disconnected from said brassireadjacent the base of said cups.

GRETA KATZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTSName Date Roth Aug. 21, 1934 Rubinstein Mar. '7, 1939 Elberfeld May 26,1942 Witkower June 3, 1947 Bowen Feb. 17, 1948 Gluckin Apr. 26, 1949Barco Nov. 8, 1949

